


Cat Dad

by BonesAtlantis_21



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: During Canon, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:15:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29919525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesAtlantis_21/pseuds/BonesAtlantis_21
Summary: Levi was known to be tough and calloused. He was stoic, and many feared him for his strong abilities. However, one furry little creature brings out a soft spot that Levi didn't know he had.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Comments: 14
Kudos: 67





	Cat Dad

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! I read a headcanon that Levi is a cat person, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. So I wrote this fic to go along with it. I really hope you enjoy it!

It had been one year. One year since Levi had joined the scouts, one year since he left his life behind in the underground, one year since Levi had given his heart to Erwin for humanity’s sake, and one year since the deaths of his two closest friends, Isabel and Furlan. And Levi was feeling the weight of their deaths all over again. 

Yes, since then, Levi had made new friends in the survey corps. Hange wiggled their way into his life as they wouldn’t stop talking. And even though he tried to kill him a year ago, he was closer to Erwin than he had ever been with anybody before. But at the moment, Levi didn’t want to be around anyone, especially his friends in the survey corps. 

Erwin, Hange, Moblit, Miche, and Nanaba had thrown him a sort of surprise party. It was minimal, but they all chipped in and bought Levi lovely teacups and tea blends as a way to congratulate him for his one year in the corps. 

“We usually don’t do this kind of thing, but since you have had such an impact on the Scouts this year, we felt it was necessary to treat Humanities Strongest.” Erwin had said with a warm smile. 

“We got you black tea!” Hange squealed. “And look! We made sure the handles of the cups were extra strong, so you don’t have to hold the cup by the rim all the time.” Hange slapped Moblit on the back, who was holding the teacups and tea blends. 

“Nanaba and I also got you a new broom!” Miche stated. 

“The bartender at our favorite bar threw theirs out! It was as good as new, and we knew that you had practically worn down yours, so we picked it up for you.” Nanaba smiled. 

Levi’s mouth hung open as if the words escaped him; he didn’t know what to say. It was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for him. Their nice gesture genuinely warmed his heart, but at the same time, he felt like he didn’t deserve it. “It’s been a year?” Levi asked, dumbfounded. 

“Yep!” Hange nodded their heads. “A year today when you survived your first expe....” 

“It’s hard to say exactly.” Erwin cut in, “But it's been roughly a year, and since then, our casualties have gone down by 20 percent because of you.” 

That was when it hit Levi. It was a year ago that day when he lost Isabel and Furlan. A great deal of sadness struck him, and all of a sudden, he was overwhelmed with emotions. He was genuinely happy that these people cared enough to do things for him but also devastated as all the pain he felt the year before came back to him. But most of all, he was mad, mad at them for making him remember, and angry at himself for forgetting. 

He stared at them, trying to hide his bundle of feelings that were dying to come out. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “I... I don’t know what to say.” He muttered eventually. 

“That’s okay!” Hange stated. “It’s hard to believe how close we’ve all become. Can you believe it just a year ago you were trying to kill Erwin!” Hange laughed. 

“Which is all in the past now!” Erwin remarked. He could read Levi’s facial expression, and he tried very hard not to hurt him further. “I’ve had many cadets try to kill me!” 

“I tried to kill him once!” Miche added. “Back when we were trainees!” 

Levi looked down. He saw Isabel’s head, Furlan’s body torn in half. _I lost them._ The room began to spin. He felt light-headed and heard the others’ voices as if they were far away. He couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m sorry.” He muttered. “I appreciate all this, but I feel like I have to puke up my lunch, so I am going to go get some air.” And with that, he turned away and walked out of Erwin’s office. 

“Dammit, Hange!” Miche punched Hanges arm. 

“Ow! Hey, what did I do!” Hange whined. 

“Should we go after him?” Nanaba asked.

Erwin sighed. “I don’t know.” 

Levi walked out of Erwin’s Office, and out of the quarters building, into the courtyard, and then into town. He wanted nothing more than to be alone, and he knew if he lingered around the Scouts headquarters, either Hange or Erwin would have encountered him, and he didn’t want to hear their crappy excuse. However, in town, he could blend in with the crowds, making it harder for them to find him. 

The streets were bustling with people. Children played football in the streets. Women shopped in the markets while their husbands busted out of sleazy bars with their fists up, ready to fit. The Garrison soldiers sat around and drank, as usual. A chill ran up Levi’s spin; none of them knew. None of them knew of the horrors that went outside those walls. If any of them did, they surely wouldn’t be this lively. Levi buried his chin into his coat. _Was this the life we were missing?_ He thought back to when Isabel and Furlan sat on the roof. Isabel and Furlan had been filled with so much hope and desire. They truly believed that they could live amongst these clueless people. And Levi wanted it to be true. He was so desperate for it to be true he believed them himself. He thought it to be right so much to the point he recklessly rode ahead to kill Erwin himself, and that was the last time he saw them alive. 

He remembered how hopeful they looked as they disappeared into the fog, waving a friendly goodbye as if they would see him again soon. Levi felt his heart pound in his chest as he recalled that memory. If he had known that was the last time he would see them, he would have told them how much they meant to him. Levi’s eyes grew hot and began to water. 

“Shit.” He muttered to himself as he looked down at the cobblestone ground and blindly turned into an alleyway. He hated crying. He felt like crying was useless, it wouldn’t bring his friends back, and it wouldn’t rid him of this feeling, so what was the point. 

No matter how much he told himself crying was useless, he would still sometimes find tears leaking out of his eyes, but Levi would be damned if he ever let anyone see him. So he sat in the alleyway, knees to his chin, desperately whipping at his eyes to dispose of the water droplets that cruised his face. 

“Meow.” A small little purr came from in front of him. 

“Huh.” He muttered, looking up. 

To Levi’s surprise, a small little furry creature sat in front of him. The creature was about a foot long and had big round yellow eyes and pointed ears. Its fur was completely black except for a white spot on its breast that made it look like it was wearing a cravat. 

“Meow.” It purred again. 

Levi raised an eyebrow, he had seen these creatures in the underground before, but he forgot the name for them. Isabel had always insisted on feeding them. Levi remembered scolding her for trying to bring one in their apartment once. 

“Meow.” It meowed again, but this time walked up to Levi’s legs and rubbed its head against his shin. 

“Shoo, shoo,” Levi whispered to it, imagining all the dust and dirt it must have had on its fur. 

Despite Levi’s protest, the creature continued to rub its body against Levi’s shins. It was pacing back and forth, butting its head and then the rest of its body. Then the creature let its slender and silky tail linger on his leg. 

“Beat it!” Levi whispered a little louder, moving his leg up to hopefully get it to go away. 

The creature, however, took Levi’s change in position as an opportunity and jumped up into his lap. “Meow.” It purred and then licked its paw delicately. 

“You have some nerve; you know that,” Levi muttered to it. 

The creature stopped and stared at Levi’s forehead. The creature sat back on its hind legs as its pupils dilated. 

“What?” Levi whispered. 

Much too quick for Levi, the creature reached its paws up to Levis strains of hair and began patting at it between its claws. 

“Okay, okay. That’s enough.” Levi said as he grabbed the creature from under its front legs and removed it from his lap. 

“Meow.” The creature protested. 

The creature was feisty and had an attitude. Levi patted it on the head and sat up. “Well, bye now.” He told it before he walked out of the alleyway. 

Levi decided it was best to head back to the Scouts Base. He knew Erwin was probably looking for him, and by now. He probably discovered that he wasn’t on the property anymore, so he might send a search party to look for him. 

At one point, Levi had to stop because crowds of people made a blockage. Townspeople gathered and watched the garrison deal with a quarrel that had broken outside a bar. After a few minutes of standing, Levi felt familiar fur graze his legs. He looked down, and sure enough, the creature he had seen in the alleyway was staring at him with its big yellow eyes. 

“Huh.” Levi gasped. “Shoo, go back to your own home!” 

“Meow.” The creature protested. 

“Tsh,” Levi muttered as he reached down and scooped the creature back up. The creature struggled in his arms; it did not like being manhandled. _I can relate to that._ Levi thought as he held the creature firmly but gently and made his way back to the ally. “Stay!” He told it once he reached the alley. Levi then turned around and began to walk away briskly. 

Surely it won’t follow me this time. But sure enough, after a few moments of walking, Levi caught sight of the furry creature trotting directly beside him. 

Levi moaned out of annoyance as he once again picked up the creature and brought it back to the alleyway. 

“Stay!” Levi told it more firmly this time. 

This time Levi made sure to make himself impossible to track. He zigzagged through the streets, took unnecessary turns, and speed-walked through crowds. There was no way anyone could track him, so he was sure the creature could not follow him. 

Eventually, he made it back to HQ, and when he checked behind him, the creature was nowhere in sight. Although he was relieved that the animal stayed behind, he was also kind of disappointed. He didn’t want to admit it, but that creature was rather cute. 

“Levi!” Levi turned to hear Erwin’s voice. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. I about sent a search party for you.” 

“What can’t live without me, eyebrows?” Levi crossed his arms and teased Erwin. 

“My life is completely meaningless without you.” Erwin teased back. 

“Tsh.” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Levi, I’m sorry, we wanted to do something special for you, and it completely slipped my mind that it was…” 

“Erwin.” Levi raised his hand to cut him off. “It’s fine, and I’m over it.” 

“Are you sure, because I am always here for you if you need to…” 

“Erwin, seriously, can we drop it.” 

Erwin relaxed his posture and nodded. “Okay.” 

Levi opened his mouth to say some catty remark, but Erwin did something that took him completely off guard. Erwin reached down and gently took Levi’s hand. 

“I do want you to know, though, that I am here for you… always.” Erwin used his two hands to massage Levi’s slender fingers. 

Dumbfounded, Levi just stared at their hands. Never has anyone made such a kind gesture to him and Erwin out of all people. All of a sudden, Levi’s cheeks felt hot; if it were anyone else, he would have swatted at them, but this was Erwin, so Levi just stood there staring at his hand. “Ah.” Levi felt awkward. “Thank you, Erwin.” 

Erwin smiled and nodded. Then he gently let go of Levi’s hand. “It’s dinner time now. Would you care to join me as well as the others to dinner?” 

Levi nodded, still too dumbfounded for words. 

The two men walked side by side to the mess hall, where they got their rations and met Hange and the others at their usual table. 

“Okay! So then I told Erney to drink it, and he did!” Hange cried.

“Wait, so you actually got him to drink piss?” Miche asked, dumbfounded. 

“Yeah, I didn’t think he would do it, but he did!” 

“He said it tasted sour,” Moblit added. 

“Eww,” Nanaba remarked but laughed. 

“Four eyes that’s disgusting,” Levi stated. 

“I thought he knew!” Hange defended herself! “It smelled very foul and was blatantly obvious!” 

“Hahaha. Erney is such an idiot!” Miche pounded his fist on the table as he laughed. 

“Is he okay?” Erwin asked, genuinely concerned. 

“Oh yeah, he’s fine!” Hange smiled. 

“After he vomited his breakfast,” Moblit added. 

“Eek!” Nanaba jumped up on the bench. 

“What’s your problem?” Miche asked from next to her. 

“Something scurried across my foot!” Nanaba cried. 

“Really!” Hange asked and instantly looked under the table. They gazed underneath until a tiny little fluff ball at the far end of the table closest to the wall caught her eye. “Oh psh, it’s another damn rat!” Hange cried. “I swear I’ve been seeing more and more of those little bastards each day!” 

“A rat Nanaba, seriously?” Miche teased. “Hahaha, You face titans.” 

“I hate rats!” Nanaba cried. “I’ve had a fear of them since I was a kid!” 

“I’ve seen a couple in my office more than once this week,” Erwin stated. 

“Ugh! I swear they are breeding quicker than rabbits!” Hange pushed their glasses onto the bridge of their nose. “We have to do something!” 

“I’ve brought up the issue with the Commander more than once.” Erwin sighed. “He doesn’t seem to care.”

“Come on now! It’s just a cute little rat.” Miche teased Nanaba with a baby voice. 

“Shut up, Miche!” Nanaba yelled. 

“It really...eek!” Miche jumped up on the bench and began shaking his leg. “It’s on my leg; it’s on my leg!” 

“Ahh!” Nanaba screamed as she jumped away from the table. 

“We need to burn it! Moblit, get the torch!” Hange cried. 

“On it!” Moblit ran to the nearest torch. 

“Get it off, get it off!” Miche continued to panic. 

“Miche, calm down!” Erwin stated. 

Levi rolled his eyes and then placed his tea down on the table. He stood up and walked over to where Miche was panicking, then, with his hand, swatted the rat off his leg. The rat landed on the floor and then hurried away. “What’s the matter Miche, it’s just a cute little rat.” 

Erwin covered his mouth to hide his laughter. 

“It’s not funny anymore, is it!” Nanaba shouted. 

“I think they’re gone now,” Hange said. “Darn, those little bastards are everywhere! They keep chewing up my notes and getting into the bread rations.” 

“We need a cat,” Moblit stated. 

Levi perked up at that word. _Cat._ “A what?” 

“A cat,” Moblit stated. 

“You know those little furry creatures that wander around in town,” Nanaba said. 

“They are like mini mountain lions,” Hange added. 

“Oh, yeah, I know what those are,” Levi said, thinking back to the black creature he saw in the alleyway. _It was a cat._

“There are plenty of strays running around in town; I’ll bring up the idea with Commander Shadis. Maybe we can snag one next time we are in town.” 

“Tsh, like you, can make a cat do what you want it to do,” Miche laughed. “Those cats in town are pretty feisty; they listen to know one.” 

“Well, it might be worth a shot,” Erwin commented. 

Levi stayed quiet and thought back to the black cat. It had tried following him. Maybe he should have let it follow him. 

After dinner, Erwin wished everyone a good night as he had work to do in his office. So Levi made his way back to their shared quarters alone. When he reached their quarters, he lit a candle and opened the window to let in the fresh night air. 

He wasn’t usually much of a sleeper, but that night he felt exhausted, so he told himself he would try to fall asleep. He slipped his shirt off to change into something more comfortable and less smelly. 

“Meow.” 

Levi stopped and turned around, and laying in the window cell was the black cat with the white chest he had seen in the alleyway. 

“Meow.” It purred again. 

“You don’t listen to anyone, do you,” Levi said as he walked up to it. He put his hand out in front of it. 

The cat reached its head forwards and began sniffing his hand. Levi could feel the tips of its whiskers brush his fingertips. Once the cat recognized his smell, it stood up, stretching its back, and then placed its head under Levi’s palm. 

Levi began stroking the cat the way he saw Isabel pet cats. “I guess I'm stuck with you, aren’t I,” Levi said. 

The cat purred in response. 

* * *

Levi awoke to the reveille. He lifted his arms and let out a long yawn before he scanned the room to realize that Erwin, as well as the black cat, was nowhere to be seen. _I guess I will see that cat later._ He thought. He rose from his chair and walked to the kettle to brew a pot of tea. 

Once the tea had brewed, he poured it into two cups, one for him and one for Erwin, who had indeed fallen asleep at his desk drowned in paperwork. _Let’s see how late the future Commander stayed up this time._ Levi thought to himself. 

With two cups of tea in his hands, he carefully made his way to Erwin’s office, where he found the blonde lightly snoring with his head in his arms on top of piles of paperwork. 

“Erwin,” Levi muttered. 

Erwin barely flinched. 

“Hey Erwin,” He said again, this time louder. 

Again Erwin gave no response. 

“Tsh,” Levi muttered, slightly annoyed before he rolled his eyes and kicked the leg of the table, making it shake.

“Huh!” Erwin jolted up with a quick intake of air. 

“Morning, Blondie, did you get enough beauty sleep?” Levi snarked before placing a teacup in front of Erwin and then taking a seat in a nearby chair so he could drink his.

“Oh, good morning Levi,” Erwin said, still groggy from just waking. “I must have dozed off.” He noticed the tea Levi set in-front of him. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Levi took a sip of his tea and then nodded at the paperwork. “Anything interesting.” 

“Not really. We have another expedition coming up at the end of the month.” “An unusual amount of titans have been spotted near Shiganshina.” 

“Oh, and they want us to go get rid of them?” Levi asked. 

“More or less.” Erwin nodded, sipping his tea. 

After the two men finished their tea, they got dressed and ready for the day so they could head to the mess hall for breakfast. Levi took extra scraps of chicken from other Scout members’ finished plates and folded them in a napkin when no one was looking. While all the other Scouts headed to the courtyard to train, Levi stopped by the alleyway to meet up with his little friend. 

“Here… cat.” He called, unsure of how to summon a cat. 

“Meow.” The black cat appeared from behind a large wooden box. It trotted quickly towards him with its tail high in the air and curved at the end. 

“Here.” Levi placed the napkin of scraps in front of the black cat. 

The black cat set its tail down and leaned over, cautiously, to sniff the scrapes. 

_It's not poison._ Levi rolled his eyes but stood back as he let the cat sniff the food and eventually began to chew it. Levi watched the cat eat its food and was surprised by how cautiously it ate it. The cat was clean, and it didn’t just bury its head in it the way a dog does. It carefully chewed each scrape before swallowing it. If a piece of food landed on its whiskers or its face, it would immediately lick it off. 

When the black cat finished eating, it walked up to Levi and rubbed its body against Levi's shins. Levi reached down and started stroking the cat’s soft fur. The cat, in return, started licking Levi’s fingers. Which, to Levi’s surprise, was rough like sandpaper. 

Over the week, Levi would save his rations, collect scraps from finished plates, and even save cream to feed the cat. He found the black cat in various places in the Scouts HeadQuarter. Sometimes Levi found it in the alleyway waiting for him on top of a box. Other times he saw the cat rolling around in the barracks on the hey piles. And some evenings, the cat would scratch at his window, begging to be let in. Usually, Erwin was in meetings, so Levi would gladly welcome the cat’s company. 

One day Levi walked into the alleyway with a napkin full of scraps when to his surprise was not only greeted by the black cat but also a fluffy white cat, a skinny grey cat, a fat orange cat, and a brown cat with white mittens. 

Five cats trotted up to him, all meowing and begging for his food. Levi glanced at the Black Cat, who sat on top of a box in a sphinx pose, licking its paws and wagging its tail. “You brought friends, didn’t you, you brat?” Levi asked. 

Levi placed the napkin in front of them, and all of them quickly devoured the scraps that could only feed one cat. 

“Meow!” They all begged again. 

“I don’t have anymore,” Levi told them. 

“Meow!” The white fluffy cat put his front paws on his shins. 

“I’m sorry.” Levi apologized. 

“Meow!” The fat orange cat whined. 

Levi sighed. He thought of what Isabel would have done in this scenario. “Okay, fine, wait here.” He told them before he made his way out of the alleyway. 

The scouts don’t waste anything. Any food not eaten is thrown into a large compost bin behind the mess hall. Since breakfast had just ended, there should be fresh scrapes waiting inside the compost bin. 

When he reached the large bin, he popped open the lid to see scrapes from breakfast sitting on top of the mulch.

“Huh.” Levi gagged. It was not the best-smelling bin, so he tied his handkerchief around his face. _I can’t believe I’m doing_ _this_. Levi thought before climbing inside. He gathered the scraps in a napkin. Just as he collected enough for the five cats, he heard a voice behind him. 

“Levi?” Hange’s voice made Levi turn around. “What are you doing in there?” 

Shit. “I’m putting shit in the compose. What does it look like four-eyes!” Levi made up a quick excuse. 

  
“But why are you in the compost?” Hange raised an eyebrow. 

“Some idiot didn’t mix it correctly!” Levi snapped. 

“You hate mixing the compost!” Hange crossed their arms and smirked. “What are you actually doing?” 

“I…” Levi was caught red-handed. “Whatever!” He climbed out of the bin and closed the lid. “I don’t have to explain myself to you!” He sneered as he marched past Hange. 

  
When Levi got back to the alleyway, he placed the scraps down in front of the begging cats. “Eat up, you little brats.” He said as he crossed his arms and watched them. 

Levi continued to feed the cats. Finding food for them became more and more tricky because more and more cats kept appearing each day. Levi didn’t have the heart to stop feeding them. Not only that, but he enjoyed all of their company. Unlike humans, they didn’t talk back unless they wanted food. They were surprisingly clean as Levi noticed they spent much of their time grooming themselves. They were elegant creatures. Levi was fascinated by the way they jumped and by the way they hunted. He would never admit it to anyone, but he found them to be very cute as well, and he loved to pet them, especially when they rewarded him with their little sandpaper licks. Sometimes Levi would sit down near them, and they would come up and beat their paws against him like they were making biscuits. Although he liked them all, his favorite cat was still the black cat, as it was the one that followed him around the most and kept him company when Erwin wasn’t around. 

As the weeks went on, Levi noticed the cats appear all over the headquarters. In the barracks, in the courtyard, and near the men and women’s dorms. They were always in the alleyway in the morning because that was where Levi fed them. The other scouts began to notice the cats, too, as it became common for Levi to see a scout petting or playing with a cat. He even heard that some of the scouts began naming them. 

The day before the expedition, Levi was sparring with Miche and Erwin. Levi dodged a punch from Miche. Quick, on his feet, he kicked Miche's feet from under him, causing him to fall, but failed to see Erwin from behind him. Erwin quickly tripped Levi, making him tumble to the ground.

“Hey, I thought I was sparring Miche!” Levi cried from the ground.

“Erwin always has my back,” Miche stated. “Plus, you always win unless we surprise you!” 

“Tsh.” Levi huffed. 

Erwin outstretched him to Levi, and Levi took it. “You are the best fighter in the Scouts, Levi, right Miche.” 

Miche didn’t respond. He was busy gazing off into the distance. 

“Miche?” Erwin asked again. 

“Oh, sorry. I was just looking at that cat over there.” Miche pointed to a yellow cat rolling around in the sun.

“Huh.” Erwin watched as a young scout bent over to pet it. “I’ve been seeing more and more cats these days.” 

“I wonder if someone’s feeding them,” Miche stated. 

“I hope not,” Erwin stated. 

Miche gave Erwin a confused look. “Why not?” 

Erwin sighed. “About a week ago, I spoke to the Commander about getting a cat for the rat problem, and he said that if we got a cat, scouts might be tempted to feed it, and feeding it means they would have to hoard rations and hoarding rations is…” 

“Against the rules, and is a high violation. I know.” Miche stated. 

Levi’s stomach dropped. He felt his palms get sweaty. Although he got the scrapes from the trash, collecting trash was still considered hoarding. 

“I still think someone is feeding them.” 

“Tsh,” Levi chimed in. “What kind of idiot would waste food on some mangy rodent.” 

“Oh, come on, even you have to admit they are cute,” Miche said. 

“If you consider pests cute.” Levi spatted before walking away. 

  
The mission outside the wall was a complete failure. The Scouts lost 55 percent of their men, and fifty percent of those who survived were injured. Levi had never seen Erwin look so defeated. As they walked through the gate of Shiganshina, Erwin rode with his head down in sorrow. To make matters, worse Commander Shadis had a full breakdown in front of a weeping mother after they returned her son’s arm. 

Then the day got worse, much, much worse. Just as they left Shiganshina, a crack of lightning cracked through the sky before the colossal titan made its first appearance. The commander was too much of a mess to lead, so Erwin had to step up to command the able scouts back so they could help the citizens evacuate the city. 

Finally, after many hours the scouts returned to base. Every single one of them was silent. No one ate dinner that night. Everyone just retreated into their chambers to grieve. After putting his horse away, Levi walked to the alleyway to look for the black cat. 

“Meow.” The black cat greeted him as it jumped down from the cart and ran up to Levi. Rubbing its body on his shins. 

Levi sat down, not caring about the dirty ground, and began stroking the cat. The cat purred into its hand as it walked back forth, happily enjoying Levi’s presence as much as Levi was enjoying it. That was when Levi heard sobbing coming from above him. 

He looked up to see his and Erwin's window wide open. The sobbing was coming from there. Levi had never heard Erwin cry before. 

_I’m here for you…always._ Levi heard Erwin’s voice before he marched into the men’s dorms, up the stairs, and into their room without thinking. 

Erwin, who was sitting on his bed, popped up. Tears stained Erwin's cheeks, and his blue eyes appeared teal because his eyes were now red and puffy from crying. 

“Levi?” Erwin sniffled. 

Levi didn’t say anything. He just closed the door. 

“I’m sorry… I just…” But before Erwin could finish, Levi rushed in front of him and wrapped his arms around Erwin’s large shoulders, hugging him. 

At first, Erwin was shocked. Levi rarely showed affection. But then Erwin realized that it had been so long since anybody had given him comfort. He gave in and wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist to bring the smaller man closer. 

Levi rested his chin on Erwin’s shoulder, and Erwin buried his face in the crock of Levi’s neck and continued to sob. Levi just let him. He ran his hand over Erwin’s blond locks the way he stroked the black cat. Neither spoke for what felt like hours. They stay still, just enveloped in each other’s arms, comforting each other. 

“Shadis is retiring.” Erwin broke the silence with a muffled sob. “He put in his resignation.” 

“Oh.” That was all Levi could say. He knows as well as Erwin what Shadis’s retirement meant. That Erwin would become commander of the Survey Corps, and right then was the absolute worst time to become commander of the scouts. 

“They are going to want for us to reclaim the wall,” Erwin said. “I have no idea how we are going to do that.” 

“You’ll think of something,” Levi said. He had never seen Erwin be so unsure of himself, and it scared him. “And I’ll be right beside you the whole time, till the very end.” 

Erwin didn’t respond. He just buried his face deeper into Levi’s neck and wrapped his arms tighter around his waist to bring him closer. And Levi let him; he just continued to pet the future commander’s hair and listen to him cry. 

  
One week later, Commander Shadis announced his retirement and Erwin’s promotion to the regiment. At dinner, everyone congratulated Erwin. 

“Finally, Erwin, I have so many ideas that we need to discuss!” Hange leaned over the table. “First thing first! Hypothetically speaking, how comfortable would you be if we kept a pet titan around the courtyard.” 

“Excuse me?” Erwin asked, confused.

“Hange no!” Moblit cried. 

“What? It’s a hypothetical question.” Hange winked. 

“Four-eyes, we see you winking,” Levi remarked. 

“Eeek!” Nanaba cried. “I felt it! The rat!” 

“Oh, hold on! I’ll be right back!” Miche got up and ran out of the mess hall. After a few minutes, he returned with a grey cat in his arm. 

“Miche, you know the no-feeding policy,” Nanaba commented. 

“I know, but we technically aren’t feeding it if it eats a rat,” Miche smirked as he set the cat down. 

“Go, little lion, go!” Hange chanted. 

The cat, however, had other ideas. It carefully sniffed around the table until it got to Levi and then jumped right into his lap, kneading against his knees. 

“Well, look at that!” Miche laughed. “It went right up to the person who hates them the most.” 

“Aww!” Hange cried. “Levi, you made a friend.” 

Levi wanted to feed it, but he instead picked it up and placed it on the ground because he was in front of everyone. “I’m not eating near that thing,” Levi said before picking up his scraped food. “You all have fun trying to make it consume a rat, Erwin congratulations, and to all of you, goodnight.” And with that, Levi walked out of the mess hall. 

He didn’t go back to his room, though. Instead, he made his way to the barracks. Levi knew the black cat hung out here at this time. 

“Meow.” Came a meow from up above. 

“How did you get up there?” Levi asked once he spotted the cat on the roof. “Come down here. I have food.” 

The cat didn’t move; it just meowed again at him. 

“Tsh.” Levi huffed before crawling up the nearby ladder. He placed the plate of food next to the black cat then took a seat to gaze up at the stars. 

The stars were beautiful, and the moon was full and bright. It reminded him of the night when Isabel and Furlan sat under the sky, hopeful about their future. _Isabel would have loved this cat._ She would have continued feeding all the cats, even knowing the possibility of punishment. Maybe that was why Levi was feeding them. Perhaps it honored her somehow. 

“Levi?” 

Levi popped up. The cat had disappeared, but Erwin’s voice ran through the air. 

“Levi, are you here?” 

“Up here!” Levi said, waving his hand so Erwin could see him. 

“What are you doing up there?” Erwin asked. 

“The view is nice,” Levi answered. “I’ll come down.” 

“Wait, no. I’ll come to you.” Erwin crawled up the ladder and took a seat right next to Levi. “Wow, the view is nice.” 

The two sat in silence for a little while. Levi always welcomed Erwin's company because he was perfectly content with staying silent. Everyone else Levi knew had to talk. They couldn’t allow the surrounding area to sit in silence. 

After a long comforting moment of silence, Erwin finally broke it. “What do you think is beyond the walls?” He asked. 

Levi glanced at him. Erwin had never asked that question before. “We know what is beyond the walls, titans.” 

“Yes, but have you ever wondered what lies far beyond the walls, way beyond the walls. Farther than any scout has gone before.” 

“I suppose more titans.” 

“But how do we know that for sure. How do we know that we are all that is left of humanity? The world is massive, so wouldn’t we be ignorant to think that we are all that is truly left.” 

Levi opened his mouth, but no words came out. He had never thought about that before. As far as they knew, they were all the humans left, but Erwin was right. The world is vast, so how do they know that they were the last of humans. Levi studied Erwin's face. Erwin had a small smile on him. It was gentle and sweet, but what fascinated Levi the most was the look in his eyes. Hope-filled Erwin’s eyes. His eyes sparkled, telling Levi that Erwin craved for something. Erwin yearned for adventure, excitement, and knowledge. Erwin wanted more than to save humanity. He wanted humanity to grow, and Levi didn’t just see that; he admired that. 

“I don’t know, Erwin.” Levi eventually responded. “But won’t it be interesting to find out?” Almost involuntarily, Levi put his hand on top of Erwin's. 

Erwin looked down at Levi’s hand then looked up at Levi. Something else replaced the sparkle in his eyes that Levi saw earlier, and suddenly Levi realized just how close to each other he and Erwin were.

Levi felt his heart pounding in his chest and his cheeks turning red. Erwin reached up and gently cupped Levi’s cheek running his thumb over his bottom lip. Levi felt the warmth of Erwin’s palm as he leaned in closer. Then they were only an inch apart. 

“It will be,” Erwin remarked before Levi closed the gap, and the two embraced each other in a kiss. 

* * *

The large cumulonimbus clouds rumbled in the distance. The wind shook the buildings, and the dark sky hung over the Scouts HQ as a warning. A warning for everyone to get inside and take cover from the impending storm that was coming. 

“Make sure the horses in the Barracks are dry and warm.” Commander Erwin ordered the new cadets. “We can’t afford sick horses.” 

“Yes, sir!” The recruits all shouted before running away. 

“This storm is going to be a real bad one,” Erwin told Levi. 

Levi looked up at Erwin. “You think?” 

Erwin just nodded, then turned to face Levi. “Will you be okay alone tonight?” He took Levi’s hand. 

“I’ll be fine,” Levi said. “Just don’t kill yourself, old man.” 

Erwin smirked. “Dying from paperwork would be an honorable way to go.” 

  
Later in Erwin and Levi’s quarters, Levi sat reading with a cup of tea. Thunder boomed, and lightning cracked outside, and as much as Levi hated to admit it, it made him slightly uneasy. Erwin had suggested that he read in his office, but Levi knew Erwin had to get these papers done. And he didn’t want to be a distraction to him. 

“Meow!” Scratching came from the window. 

Levi looked up to see the Black Cat desperately clawing at the window. “Oh no,” Levi muttered as he got up and opened it. 

The cat jumped inside and immediately began grooming itself. It left little paw prints on the ground as it was soaking wet. 

“Better?” Levi asked, but before he could close the window, another wet cat jumped in, and then another, and another. And before Levi could close the window, 20 cats jumped inside his room. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Levi shouted as he closed the window. “You all can’t be in here! I just cleaned in here.” 

But the cats didn’t listen. Instead, they made themselves at home. They were jumping on Erwin’s bed, snuggling up close to the fireplace, and grooming themselves on the floor. 

“Meow!” More scratching came from the window. 

Levi sighed. The new scouts had done a perfect job closing the Barracks, so the cats had nowhere else to go. _It will only be for one night, and Erwin will be in his office all night._ “Fine,” Levi muttered as he opened the window. 

  
Erwin was tapping his pen against the hard rose wooden desk as he glanced around his new office. Flames cast shadows on the large empty wooden shelves. Boxes filled the room, waiting to be unpacked. Levi had insisted on deep cleaning the office first, so they had not had time to unpack. His office was so much larger than his old one. Commander Shadis had left it littered with old drinking bottles and old paperwork that the ex-commander never completed. 

Erwin looked down at the paperwork and sighed. It was a stormy night which was the perfect time to snuggle up by a fireplace with one's lover. He would have much rather been with Levi that night instead of stuck here in this office, but he had to get it done. He reached for his cup of tea and was disappointed when he found it empty. _Maybe I should take a break and get some more._ Erwin thought as he stood up from his desk and collected his cup. He realized quickly, however, that all the tea blends were in his and Levi's quarters. _Well, I guess this will be the perfect excuse to check on Levi._ Erwin thought to himself. Erwin walked out of his office and made his way to his quarters. His office was much farther away than it used to be when he was a Section Commander. 

When he reached his quarters and opened the door, nothing could have possibly prepared him for the surprise that awaited on the other side. Cats filled the room. There were cats on the bed, on the chairs, on the bookcase, sprawled out on the carpet. And right smack in the middle of the room was Levi sitting cross-legged on the floor with a black cat in his lap, a small tabby cat on his head, and a yellow cat on his shoulder. 

Erwin’s mouth dropped to the floor. He and Levi locked eyes. Levi didn’t say anything; his face just turned dreadfully pale. 

“Levi..” Erwin asked, stepping in the room, being the first to talk.

“This… this isn’t what it looks like,” Levi mumbled and cast his eyes to the fireplace breaking eye contact with Erwin. 

“I don’t even know what this looks like.” Erwin closed the door. “Levi, why are there cats in our room?” Erwin put his head in his hand. 

“Well, they were here when I got here.” 

“Really! You expect me to believe that.” Erwin snapped. “I'll ask again why there are fifty cats in our room!” Erwin asked sterner this time. 

“There’s 36, actually.” Levi corrected. 

Erwin narrowed his eyes. 

“Huh…” Levi sighed. “They wanted to take shelter from the rain, so I let them inside.” 

“You actually let them in! But why would they come here in the first place! Why would…” Erwin trailed off as things began adding up in his head. “It’s you.” 

“Huh,” Levi asked as the black cat's tail flew in his face. 

“It's you! You are the one who's been feeding them!” 

“What, no Erwin, why would I waste food on cats!” 

“Don’t lie to me, Levi! Hange told me that you were digging around in the compost a couple of months ago, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you shoving scraps in your pockets and pouring extra cream in your empty cups! You’ve been feeding them! How long has this been going on!” 

Levi looked down at the floor; Erwin was mad at him, he could tell, and he didn’t like looking at Erwin when he was angry. “Three months.” 

“Three months! Good gosh, Levi!” Erwin shouted. “I’m the commander of the Survey corps now! You know the rules! You’re the last person I want to discipline! This is a serious offense. What were you thinking!” 

“Hey, they started following me around!” Levi shouted back. 

“Don’t blame the cats!” 

“I…” Levi stopped. He looked at Erwin. “I...I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know?” 

“They helped me,” Levi muttered out. “I can’t explain it, Erwin, but they help.” 

Erwin stopped and looked at Levi. Levi was still sitting on the floor petting the black cat. It rubbed its face against him, the little tabby played with his hair, and the yellow one slept on his shoulder. And it was cute. It was adorable how the normally callused and stoic Levi let cats sleep on his shoulder and play with his hair. Erwin couldn’t believe it. Humanities Strongest Hero had a soft spot for cats. 

Erwin sighed as he took a seat in front of Levi. Levi still refused to look at him. Instead, he continued to stroke the black cat’s fur. 

“I'm not going to kill them,” Levi said. “Please don’t order me.” 

“I never said we should get rid of them,” Erwin replied. “This was just all unexpected. You, out of all people, have a soft spot for cats.” 

“They didn't do anything wrong,” Levi said. “And they are like me or like how I used to be—running around the streets looking for food. They just want a home. If you’re going to punish me, just do it.” 

“I'm not going to punish you,” Erwin said. 

Levi looked up at him. “But the policy…” 

“Yes but, the survey corps HeadQuarters does have a rat problem. If these cats just showed up because of the rats, I’m sure no one would mind if we donated them scraps every once in a while. Just as long as they do their job and handle the rat population.” 

“But that means that we would have to let them in dorms…” 

Erwin nodded his head. “The cats are rather cute as well. I’m sure they will help morale amongst the Scouts.” 

Levi glanced at Erwin. His usual scowl transformed into a little upward curved line. “Thank you, Erwin.” He said before he lunged into his arms to kiss him. 

As the years passed, the cats did their part and kept the rat population at bay. Levi would sometimes feed them, but the cats found plenty of food in the dorms from the rats. The Scouts welcomed the cats with open arms as they took a liking to them very quickly. And soon, many of the cats had official names. 

“Why are there so many cats?” Armin asked an older scout member when he was tending the horses. He, as well as the rest of his friend group, had just joined the Scouts. 

“Oh, they keep the rats away.” The older Scout answered. 

“Huh. Where did they come from?” Armin began petting an orange cat with long whiskers. 

“No one knows they just appeared one day. They are a lot of fun, though.” The Scout said. 

“And cute!” Sasha cried as she began playing with a tabby one. “I had many cats in my village. They remind me of home!” 

“Do they have names?” Connie asked, scratching a brown cat. 

“Actually, yes! A lot of them have names! That one name is Lucy.” The scout pointed at the cat pawing at Sasha. “That one’s name is Biscuit!” The Scout pointed at the one Connie was scratching. “Petra Ral named that one.” 

“What about this one?” Armin asked as the oranged one rubbed against his hand. 

“That one doesn’t have a name yet.” 

“Can I name it?” Armin asked. 

“Yeah!” The Scout smiled. “What are you going to name it?” 

Armin looked at the cat. He stared at its green eyes. “I think I’ll name it… Mr. Whiskers.” 

Erwin and Levi couldn’t get to the bed fast enough. They hadn’t had much alone time together recently as Erwin was busy planning the 57th expedition, and Levi was busy monitoring Eren Jaeger. So their night turned into one of those nights where they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They kissed each other desperately as if they were hungry for touch. Levi had to stand on his toes to reach Erwin, so as Erwin walked them backward, Levi struggled to keep up, not wanting to break the kiss. He was so lost in their passion that he forgot about the bed behind him, and the next thing Levi knew, his foot hit the leg of the bed, and he fell on top of it. 

“Ahh.” Levi gasped. He propped himself on his elbows and gazed at his lover. Erwin was staring at him with lustful eyes, his mouth slightly parted with his fingers grazing his chin. 

“Well, Erwin, what are you waiting for?” Levi asked with desire in his voice. 

“I was just enjoying the view,” Erwin said as he crawled on top of Levi. Erwin took one of Levi’s hands and held it above his head, pressing it into the mattress. Erwin slid his other hand under the rim of Levi’s shirt and slowly stroked his hand upward against Levi’s chest, tracing his muscles and bringing his shirt upward. He rested his hand on Levi’s collar bone before leaning down and planting gentle kisses on Levi’s neck. “You’re so beautiful,” Erwin said between kisses. 

Levi closed his eyes. His heart fluttered, and he felt something he had never experienced before. It was a warm golden feeling that spread throughout his whole body. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but he liked it. He had it before when he and Erwin first kissed, and he continued to have it when he and Erwin were alone. And all of a sudden, Levi couldn’t stop himself from his feelings coming out. 

“I love you.” 

Erwin stopped. He sat back on the bed, retreating away from Levi. His mouth hung open, and his blue eyes were wide. Erwin was utterly dumbfounded. 

Levi turned his face away. “Shit.” He muttered. “I just screwed things up, didn’t I?” 

“What?” Erwin shook his head and breathed, “What, Levi, no, it’s not…” 

“I’m sorry, Erwin, I couldn’t... I don’t…” 

“No, no, god Levi, it's not…” 

“I shouldn’t have... I’m,” But before Levi could finish, Erwin cupped Levi’s cheeks and brought his lips to his in a kiss.

“I love you too.” Erwin breathed out when he lifted his lips away. 

“Huh.” Levi breathed, his cheeks now red. 

“Levi, you continue to surprise me.” Erwin smiled as he grabbed Levi’s hand. “I’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time now, but I was unsure of how you would react. I didn’t think, in a million years, that you would be the first to say it.” 

Levi smiled at Erwin, a smile reserved only for Erwin. “I love you, Erwin Smith.” 

“I love you too, Levi.” Erwin smiled; he leaned down to kiss Levi again but was interrupted when a pile of black fur jumped between them. 

“Meow.” The Black cat purred.

“What?” Erwin was confused. “How did you get in here, little creature? The window is closed.” 

Levi reached out and stroked the black cat. “This cat always finds me.” 

“Does he now.” Erwin scratted its ears, the black cat with white on its chest purred. 

“Yes,” Levi said. “He’s like you.” 

“How?” Erwin asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

“He brings out parts of me I didn’t even know I had.”

**Author's Note:**

> You made it! Yay! Thank you so much for reading this. Cats are my favorite animal in the world, so I had a lot of fun writing this. And yes, Armin naming the cat "Mr. Whiskers" was a Slap on Titan reference if you caught that. Thanks again for reading! I hope you have a wonderful day! :)


End file.
